How luxury hotels are evolving into wellness hubs: think Phuket's Anantara Layan, Four Seasons Singapore's collaboration with Chi Longevity and Six Senses Ibiza's partnership with Rose Bar
As we enter the golden age of wellness tourism – the industry is growing exponentially and will be worth US$1.4 trillion by 2027 according to the Global Wellness Institute – luxury hotel brands are looking to capitalise on the trend by creating next-level wellness experiences to lure in new customers.
'Travellers nowadays are savvy and wellness travellers even more so,' says Trisha Bannister, wellness director at the newly opened Layan Life at the Anantara Layan resort in
Phuket . 'They are looking for places that go beyond the spa, the yoga retreat or an aesthetic-based quick fix that can be found in a lot of hotels.'
Anantara Layan Wellness Center. Photo: Handout
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In the past, health-conscious travellers would head to dedicated wellness resorts such as Thailand's Chiva-Som or The Farm in the Philippines to experience cutting-edge medical and wellness treatments. These resorts, however, are starting to face stiff competition from luxury hotels launching 360-degree experiences that embrace physical, holistic and spiritual modalities, while offering world-class hospitality and luxe accommodation.
'Hotels are keeping up with wellness resorts by amping up their offerings but, likewise, wellness resorts are borrowing from hotels' playbooks in terms of elevating guest journeys and the customer experience. Increasingly these two worlds are converging,' explains Cathy Feliciano-Chon, managing partner at marketing agency Finn Partners, whose clients include The Mandarin Oriental and Marriott International Luxury Brands.
Surrenne Club pool at The Emory. Photo: Handout
'In many cases, they're partnering with established wellness centres because that is the quickest and most compelling way they can offer wellness. Hotels, after all, are about hospitality. They'll need to bring in the wellness experts to be able to do it right,' she says, citing examples such as the Four Seasons Singapore's collaboration with Chi Longevity and Six Senses Ibiza's partnership with Rose Bar, led by acclaimed wellness expert Dr Mark Hyman.
The latest trend, however, sees hotels launching and operating their own centres, which offer the best facilities, treatments and staff to go with it. Often, they cater to the local community as well as guests. Take for example, London-based wellness and longevity members' club Surrenne, launched by Maybourne Hotels at The Emory, which opened in April last year. The 2,000-square-metre space is entirely devoted to health and well-being and includes the country's first studio from global fitness guru Tracy Anderson.
Tracy Anderson Studio at The Emory. Photo: Handout
Wellness brand Soneva Soul, the brainchild of Soneva Resorts founder Sonu Shivdasani, is another stand-out. It combines ancient healing modalities with modern technology to curate personalised wellness experiences that cover movement, sleep, medical services and innovative, regenerative treatments like stem cell therapies – all of which can be enjoyed while on holiday.
New on the scene is the aforementioned Layan Life, which opened its doors in September last year. Located within the grounds of Anantara Layan Phuket Resort, this medical wellness concept is housed in a 1,767-square-metre, purpose-built facility designed using biophilic principles. A short walk from the hotel's main pool and restaurant, the stunning space blends contemporary architecture with nature and would not look out of place in a design magazine with its floor-to-ceiling windows, warm neutral tones, airy spaces and abundance of natural light.
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